publication order of the chronicles of the kings
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non-fiction publication order
Lynn Austin is an American author of inspirational Christian fiction. she has a record for winning several christy awards and one of her novels; hidden places was made into a movie by the hallmark channel.
The author was a reader and began to write with the goal of writing what she could read. At first, she struggled to raise her siblings because she had a part-time job. Her family moved to Chicago, where she became a Christian high school teacher for a year, after which she became a full-time writer. Lynn Austin is best known for her books about women who find their strength in trusting God and needing no one’s help. although the themes of her books are different, the main message she tries to point out is that god loves her people and will never abandon them, even when they face difficulties. the author draws inspiration from how real people live by researching past events of dairies.
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gods and kings
god and kings is the first book in the chronicles of the king series where the author writes about the childhood of king hezekiah, who grew up among idol worshipers in jerusalem before becoming king. The book begins during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign and he did not please the eyes of the lord because he did what was not right. he led his nation into idolatry and abandoned the worship of yahweh.
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He sacrifices children as offerings to idols to gain protection from the gods against their enemies. King Ahaz sacrifices his son Eliab to the god Molech while his other son, Hezekiah, witnesses him. He then plans to sacrifice Hezekiah, but Abijah, his mother, finds a way to save her son. Two men can help her, but she doesn’t trust them during that time when infidelity, violence, and betrayal of Yahweh are everywhere. Abijah has to find out where she can get the strength to save her son.
the prophet isaiah tries to warn king achaz but he never heeded his warning, and this causes his kingdom to be destroyed. his reigns come to an end when he is assassinated and replaced by his son, king hezekiah, who is twenty-five years old and rules jerusalem for twenty-nine years. when he begins to rule, he repairs and opens the doors of the temple that were damaged and no longer used because the people worshiped idols. he is determined to bring back the kingdom to worship a single god.
The story shows a great redemption as God persecutes his people to get their attention until they return to him.
redemption song
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the book begins with king hezekiah walking from his place to the valley of hinnom taking a path that he used at night when he was taken from his bed during his childhood to be sacrificed to molech. he wonders why his father had to sacrifice his son to an idol. he remembers that same night when his brother eliab was killed burned alive as a sacrifice.
Although his father’s reign is over, King Hezekiah doubts that there are still some people who choose to ignore the truth about Yahweh and continue to worship the god Molech in secret. he instructs his guard captain jonadab to warn the guards to watch the valley gate at night because people are likely to sacrifice their children during those hours. Hezekiah wanted the god to be smashed to pieces and melted down to make weapons such as swords, spears, and shields and then put them in his arsenal.
the king intends to change his people to turn to yahweh and stop idolatry. he sought the help of zacarias, his grandfather, to teach him to pray, love, trust and believe in yahweh. he wanted the people he ruled to see yahweh’s greatness through his promises. His second intention was to stop paying high taxes to the Assyrians who were very ruthless and violent. his father had signed an agreement to be protected from the assyrians, but now he was bankrupting judah. doubting his decision, he asks zacharias if the decision was correct and he replies that it is not a mistake to trust in god. he adds that yahweh does not promise a life without challenges, but one has to pray for what he has promised.
The author introduces us to another character named Jerusha, a young Jewish woman who lives with her sick family. one day the Assyrians invade her community mutilating and killing people. jerusha is grabbed and thrown on top of a horse this terrifies her thinking that she has been taken captive by these brutal people. after six days they arrive at her camp which was in the extreme north. Jerusha is presented in front of the men by Iddina proudly calling her name as a prize for them. men are more animal than human because of their behavior of making jerusha her prostitute. she is raped separately and forced to cook for them. she now belongs to everyone, and this makes her world evil and violent. she sees the men return with other captives whom they torture and some end up being killed. causing human pain is part of her life, and they see no harm in doing so. her life becomes a balm, as she is used, abused and raped and cooking for them.
The Assyrians are now evenly matched again, and Hezekiah is rallying to protect the walls of his city, even though he is aware that the Assyrians have never lost before. he has faith in yahweh that he will not lose the battle this time. Jerusha, on the other hand, wants to escape because of the torture he is undergoing, but her stay in the Assyrian camp may help the survival of the people of Jerusalem.
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